pretense
pre·tense/ˈpɹiːtɛns/noun
pretense is spelled P-R-E-T-E-N-S-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (pre·tense). It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pretense means “The action of pretending; false or simulated show or appearance; false or hypocritical assertion or representation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pretense is pretenses.
How many letters and syllables are in pretense?
| Letters | 8: P-R-E-T-E-N-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pre·tense |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,556th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pretense?
Pretense appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,556th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pretense?
- /ˈpɹiːtɛns/
Pretense has 2 syllables, split pre·tense in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pretense.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pretense
- pretenses plural
- pretence UK
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pretense mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The action of pretending; false or simulated show or appearance; false or hypocritical assertion or representation.
He visited the king under the pretense of friendliness.
- 2
Affectation or ostentation of manner.
She was a plain-speaking woman without a hint of pretense.
- 3
Intention or purpose not real but professed.
with only a pretense of accuracy
- 4
An unsupported claim made or implied.
- 5
An insincere attempt to reach a specific condition or quality.
- 6
obsoleteIntention; design.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pretense in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prétention |
| German | Vortäuschung, Vorspiegelung, Vortäuschen, Anschein, Heucheln, Vorwand |
| Spanish | pretensión, pretenso, achaque , cubierta |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pretense come from?
Borrowed from Middle French pretensse, from Late Latin praetēnsus, past participle of Latin praetendō (“to pretend”), from prae- (“before”) + tendō (“to stretch”); see pretend.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).